Anvil Heater

[Ian]

I don't have this particular problem myself at the minute but I can tell you that I've seen two chaps I know in the frozen north using old domestic Electric Irons to warm up their anvils.
They just layed the Iron on the face plate set at the lowest setting (cotton or silk, I'm not an expert :lol: overnight. In the morning they had a warm anvil that wouldn't rob all the heat out of the work, especially important to a knifemaker.
Steen Nielsen from Kristiansand in Norway ( a multi award winning knifemaker and Blacksmith) uses this trick, so it can't be a bad idea.

[R Funk]

Steel and Wrought Iron exibute a ductile to brittle transition at cold temperatures.

Perhaps some of you remember the Liberty ships breaking in two in the North Atlantic. Brittle wrought iron failures at cold temperatures have been documented since the middle of 19th century.

This transition from ductile to brittle can occur as warm as 30 deg F.

I would recomend that tools and anvils not be used when their temperature is less than 30 deg F to prevent brittle failures.

Earlier in this thread Sandpile relates how he broke an anvil when using it while it was cold.

I have several anvils missing either heels or horns. I have often wondered how many of these broke while being used at cold temperatures.

I would recomend preheating tools as they are more likely to fracture at cold tempertures. This will not only protect your anvils and tools but also protect personal safety as we have all heard stories of fragments of steel flying from tools and causing even fatal injuries.

[Ten Hammers]

I many times set tooling in front of the gasser to heat it to prevent heat sink ( even in the summer). Anvil, no. Ruben, thank you. I yield to your knowledge.

[Little Forks Forge]

I'm in the southern part of Quebec which is more north than most. I use an old iron to pre heat my anvil and it works great (I noticed someone else mentioned it as well). At the start of my forging I plug the iron in and in 15-20 min its ready. I bought my iron at the Salvation Army for 2 bucks.

Oliver

[Daryl]

As far as heating goes, I usually turn up the heat in my shop the night before I go in (yes, a luxury, I know), or I do the old heat up a large piece of flat bar and lay it on the anvil for a while. Once the sweat is off the anvil, it's ready for work. Warmed up to -25C today. Dimag lives much farther north than me, and it gets CCCCCCCold there too.

[Ice Czar]

Id think it would be much more efficient to just run a little nichrome wire under the anvil and make an insulated box that goes over it.

[Quenchcrack]

After moving from NW Tennessee to Houston, I find I really don't need to heat up the anvil. What I need is something to cool off the smith!

[Ten Hammers]

Ok I have a question for you smart guys. IF a man was to wrap his anvil ( waist ) in heat tape ( fill in the blank on wattage ) and just plug that tape in like a tank heater, what if any effects would occur to the metallurgy ( forged wrought anvil - Hay Budden to be precise ). Thanks.

[ThomasPowers]

That should be an alternating current so no problem with magnetic effects. Won't get hot enough to draw the temper on the face. The only effect I can guess at would be to help keep the anvil above the ductile/brittle transformation. You would probably have to remove the tape before using ans the odd bit of dropped hot steel is hard on such things.

[Ten Hammers]

Yeah havin a pigtail on the anvil would not be a good thing. Farm store here can make heat tape. May check into that when I remember but you know how that goes. If it ain't on the list I may forget and remember it in a year or so. thanks